Legal News

California Labor Law: Discriminated Against and Dismissed

Posted on May 10, 2008
Sacramento, CA: Not only was Violeta wrongfully terminated; she was treated like a criminal and fired in the company's parking lot. "I am 57 years old and a Fillipino woman—this new boss is bringing in students in their early 20s who work on call," says Violeta...

Which is the Killer: The Cigarette or the Drug?

Posted on May 09, 2008
Chicago, IL: It was just as recent as 2006 when drug makers were confident that drugs could do things such as cure depression, make people stop smoking, and even lose weight. But recently their hopes have been shattered because these drugs that are meant to block pleasure centers in the brain seem to have blocked pleasure in other ways as well.

Duragesic Pain Patch: Warning Signs Ignored

Posted on May 09, 2008
Houston, TX: The recent lawsuits against the maker of the Duragesic Pain Patch are not the first to be filed. In fact, in 2006, the daughter of a woman who died while wearing a Duragesic patch won her lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson's Alza Corp, the company that manufactures the patch...

NYPD Stop-and-Frisk Policy Challenged by Civil Rights Group

Posted on May 09, 2008
New York, NY: A civil rights group filed a lawsuit on May 7, 2008, challenging the stop-and-frisk policy that is employed by the NYPD. The stop-and-frisk policy has been used throughout the years to stop people for questioning. It is believed that hundreds of thousands per year are stopped through this practice when the police believe there is a need to transport that person to the precinct office.

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

Public Citizen Wants Ortho-Evra GONE…

Posted on May 09, 2008
Washington, DC: The push to get what many believe is a dangerous product off the market got a helping hand yesterday when Public Citizen petitioned the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to pull the Ortho-Evra contraceptive patch off the market.

Antitrust Suit against GlaxoSmithKline Certified Class Action

Posted on May 09, 2008
New York, NY: A lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline that accuses the drug maker of boosting its Wellbutrin profits through monopolistic tactics has been awarded class action status. The accusations state that GSK delayed a generic version of the antidepressant from coming onto the market.

Trasylol: "I've Gone Through Hell"

Posted on May 09, 2008
Wellington, FL: Loretta M. says she is sure she was given Trasylol during her open heart surgeries because her doctor spoke about using blood-regulating drugs during surgery. She had two open heart surgeries and experienced serious side effects after both...

Aging School Buildings, Asbestos, and Our Teachers

Posted on May 08, 2008
Denver, CO: As many school districts throughout the United States build new schools, there are still many teachers teaching in aging school buildings with asbestos in their walls. While the teachers in the new buildings are thankfully able to breathe the air within the building without fear of asbestos exposure, the teachers in aging buildings live with that fear everyday.

'"A Nurse Warned Me Not to Take Chantix"

Posted on May 08, 2008
Richmond, VA: " I went from being an active, social person to someone who thought everyone was against me and I thought they would be better off without me," says Stacey. "By the third week of taking Chantix, I had suicidal thoughts."

Botox Migration a Recipe for Disaster

Posted on May 08, 2008
Hollywood, CA: As new research continues to reveal that Botox, and Botox Cosmetic may not necessarily be the risk-free, never-give-it-a-second-thought cosmetic treatment that people eat up like candy, there are those who look beyond the potential dangers and even beyond the need.

Ortho Evra: Convenience at a Terrible Cost

Posted on May 08, 2008
Danville, CA: She was just 18 when the Ortho Evra patch claimed her life. A student, studying for a career in fashion. After she collapsed in a Manhattan subway in April 2005 and subsequently died, an autopsy revealed that a blood clot had formed and moved into the young lady's lung.

Arguments Begin Over 2001 Anthrax Death

Posted on May 08, 2008
Tallahassee FL: On May 5, 2008, lawyers told a Florida Supreme Court that the government and a particular laboratory are not obligated under state law to protect the public from materials that are lethal. This claim comes as a result of a lawsuit filed by the widow of a tabloid photo editor who died of anthrax exposure in 2001.

Labor Lawsuit Settled for $625,000

Posted on May 08, 2008
Tonawanda, NY: The town board of Tonawanda, New York decided on May 5, 2008 to settle a labor lawsuit for $625,000. The labor lawsuit had been filed by 120 of the town's former and current police officers, who alleged the city didn't pay them for overtime between the years of 2003 and 2005.

Bayer Faces New Battle of Drug Trasylol

Posted on May 07, 2008
Raleigh, NC: Bayer AG is facing a new challenge with Trasylol that doesn't have anything to do with the other 78 lawsuits that the drug company is facing. This lawsuit involves a North Carolina man's claims that he is at a financial loss because Trasylol was used during his 2006 heart surgery...

Cell Phone Early Termination Fees "Ridiculous"

Posted on May 07, 2008
Castro Valley, CA: Gloria M. would like cell phone companies like Sprint to change their policies regarding early termination fees. She knew an early termination fee would be charged if she canceled her contract, but the amount charged for a termination fee was high and Gloria says Sprint took that money out of her account without her authorization.

Real Estate Overcharges: $21,000 in Extra Fees

Posted on May 07, 2008
Salisbury, NH: Imagine finding out, almost two years after obtaining a second mortgage on your home, that you were charged over $21,000 in real estate transaction fees that you were not initially told about. Imagine being told that, because the company filed for bankruptcy, your mortgage was sold, your payments were going up, and your house was going to be foreclosed and you would have nowhere to live.

Botox Injections Froze Model's Face--and Worse

Posted on May 07, 2008
New York, NY: Nancy had four series of Botox injections between 2004 and 2005 but the fifth set would be her last. "This last time I had more injections that made my face feel frozen; I didn't want to tell people why, but my face was stuck in this scary expression," she says...

Ortho Evra Patch: Silence Is Not the Answer

Posted on May 07, 2008
Washington, DC:Currently, more than 3,000 women and their families in the United States are suing Johnson and Johnson, the makers of the Ortho Evra birth control patch, because they have suffered life threatening adverse health effects such as blood clots, heart attacks, and stroke, as a result of using this controversial form of birth control...

Yamaha Rhino Rollover: Permanent Injury from a Few Minutes of Fun

Posted on May 07, 2008
Dallas, TX: With summer just around the corner, more and more people will be out riding their ATVs again. However, more people riding ATVs means there is a higher likelihood of accidents such as Yamaha Rhino rollovers. In fact, as many people are learning, a few minutes of fun on the Yamaha Rhino can result in permanent injury.

Dead Within 12 Weeks of Starting Heparin

Posted on May 07, 2008
Louis, MS: Judith's husband, John, had been ill with pneumonia for several weeks when he was admitted to hospital, for the last time, in March. The doctors put him on continuous intravenous heparin, in addition to drugs to treat his pneumonia. Judith watched her husband worsen, until he died in late April...

Heating System Manufacturers Face Lawsuit

Posted on May 06, 2008
Burlington, VT: As many as 10 companies have been targeted in eight lawsuits that have been filed against them. The lawsuits claim that a heating system malfunctioned in a student complex back in 2005 that released carbon monoxide into some apartments...

Investors "Screwed" by Auction-rate Securities

Posted on May 06, 2008
New York, NY: It was as recent as the fall of 2007 when investors were encouraged to place their life savings into auction-rate securities. They were told that such an investment was as safe as cash. However, these investors have now learned that the large institutional investors were selling off their auction-rate securities at the same time the smaller investors were buying in.

Medical Supply Firm Settles Sexual Harassment Suit

Posted on May 06, 2008
Newport News, VA: A medical supply firm located in Newport News settled a sexual harassment lawsuit for $70,000. The suit was filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and accused the firm of creating a hostile work environment for six women.

California Computer Professionals Take On IBM - Again

Posted on May 06, 2008
Woodland Hills, CA: A second class action suit has been filed against information technology giant IBM for refusing to compensate California computer professionals for overtime. The suit is headed by Loren Teegs* (not his real name), a Systems Operations IT Specialist who claims that his employer reclassified certain categories of support workers across the country, coding them as exempt, which has resulted in thousands being denied their due overtime.

Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada: "It Makes Me Furious"

Posted on May 06, 2008
Dallas, TX: Karen J. (not her real name) is one of many people treated at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. And like many of those people, Karen learned recently that she would have to be tested for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV because staff at the center reused needles, vials and syringes.

PPH: "I Feel so Useless"

Posted on May 06, 2008
Gordonville, TX: "I took Fen-phen in the '70s but it made my heart race so much that I quit," says Debra R. "I forgot about it until my cardiologist asked if I had taken any diet meds...to make a long story short, I was diagnosed with Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) in 2003—how ironic that I am a respiratory therapist...

Parents of Teen Killed in Bus Crash Sue

Posted on May 06, 2008
Falmouth, KY: While riding in a school bus on May 1, 2008, eleven students were taken by surprise when a dump truck struck their bus. This resulted in the death of 16-year-old Daniel Wood and caused minor injuries amongst the others. Now the parents of the boy killed in the accident have filed a lawsuit against the driver of the dump truck and the trucking company.

S.F. Landlord Couple Guilty or Victims of Lawsuit-Happy Tenant?

Posted on May 05, 2008
San Francisco, CA: A landlord couple in San Francisco has been accused of reigning terror on tenants at their South of Market apartment building in an effort to drive out the renters. Their lawyers say that they have fallen victim to a lawsuit-happy tenant who had filed a suit against the previous owner of the building for wrongful eviction...

Jury Selection Begins in Plane Crash Lawsuit

Posted on May 05, 2008
Marshfield, WI: Before the jury selection had began in a lawsuit involving a September 2001 plane crash, settlements involving two of the defendants were made public. The first was between the defendants and Aero Aviation, which is a manufacturer of airplane parts...

Heparin Victim Widow: “We Have a False Sense of Security.”

Posted on May 05, 2008
Washington DC: Joanna Marie Staples of Toledo, Ohio told a congressional subcommittee on April 29, 2008 that there is a false sense of security in a country where people expect to feel safe and protected. Her husband Dennis had died shortly before his 60th birthday after he had received an injection of contaminated heparin.

Bloggers, promote your law blog by nominating your blog for inclusion in USLaw.com's Law Blog Directory and RSS Reader. Benefits described.